Choosing a balanced playing XI for any team in the IPL is difficult. However, ever since the new impact rule was brought in last year, captains have had an easier time adapting to the match situation, pitch, or a specific matchup. Depending on whether they are chasing or defending, a skipper can change the line-up mid-match and give his side an upper hand.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis will also have to think about not only what the balanced playing XI would be but also the five players who’ll be named as ‘impact players‘.
Probable impact player options for RCB
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Anuj Rawat | Wicketkeeper batter |
| Vyshak Vijaykumar | Right-arm pacer |
| Rajan Kumar/Yash Dayal | Left-arm pacer |
| Manoj Bhandage | All-rounder |
| Himanshu Sharma/Swapnil Singh | Spinner |
With an already-set batting line-up, most of RCB’s changes should be to either strengthen their bowling or bolster their power hitting or finishing touch. For these, they’ll most probably go for Vyshak Vijaykumar, Rajan Kumar, or Yash Dayal.
If they need a fast bowler who can bat, they can also opt for Manoj Bhandage, who is a right-arm fast bowler and left-arm batter. Anuj Rawat can add a power punch and give them a second wicketkeeping option as well. Lastly, if they need a spinner, they can bring in Himanshu Sharma or Swapnil Singh.
RCB Probable XI
Faf du Plessis (c) ✈️, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell ✈️. Cameron Green/Will Jacks ✈️, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson ✈️, Karn Sharma, Akash Deep.
RCB Squad
Cameron Green, Virat Kohli, Alzarri Joseph, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis (c). Mohammed Siraj, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Yash Dayal, Anuj Rawat (wk), Will Jacks, Lockie Ferguson. Reece Topley, Mayank Dagar, Tom Curran, Mahipal Lomror, Rajan Kumar, Karn Sharma, Suyash Prabhudessai. Manoj Bhandage, Akash Deep, Saurav Chauhan, Himanshu Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Rajat Patidar.
